98 of 365 – Strutting , photo by reddeviltj.

The Michigan DNR Landowner’s Guide has this to say about Pheasants in Michigan:

After their introduction from China in 1895, it didn’t take long for ring-necked pheasants to become one of Michigan’s most popular wildlife species. Because pheasants thrive in a mix of cropland, hayland, grassland, wetland, and brush, populations exploded in southern Michigan. Much of the farmland in the 1940’s and 1950’s provided outstanding pheasant habitat. At that time, farms had small fields from 10 to 20 acres in size surrounded by brushy fencerows and diverse crop rotations.

However, by the 1960’s farmland began to change and people weren’t seeing as many pheasants. The number of farms fell from 190,000 in 1940 to less than 60,000 by 1990. The amount of land farmed also decreased from more than 18 million acres in 1940 to less than 11 million acres in 1990. Although predation, genetics, and overuse of pesticides are among many explanations for the decline of pheasants, Michigan’s changing agricultural scene and loss of habitat are the main reasons.

Furthermore, farming practices have changed over time. Many practices are no longer wildlife friendly, and are aimed at making more money. This has been detrimental to pheasants. Such practices include early and numerous cuttings of hayfields, overgrazing by livestock, spraying of pesticides and herbicides, double-cropping, and fall plowing and disking of crop residues.

You can get information from the DNR about pheasant hunting in Michigan and also see the All About Birds entry for the Ring-necked Pheasant and Wikipedia’s Pheasant page.

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